Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation Launches from San Diego

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Residents from 3,900 Cities Expected to Participate in Nationwide Competition for Most Water-Wise Title in April; Toyota, Wyland Foundation Partner for 5th Year to Increase Water Use Awareness

San Diego, CA (PRWEB)April 01, 2016

While El Nino has delivered on at least part of its anticipated weather swings, it has done little to change the status quo facing the nation’s water supply problem. That’s part of the message behind the upcoming Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1-30, presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota. The campaign, now in its fifth year, kicks off April 1, with San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer issuing a nationwide challenge to mayors everywhere to use the power of their post to spread the word about the importance of water conservation.

The annual competition rewards residents who heed the call with a chance to win an all-new 2016 Toyota Prius, home irrigation makeovers, environmentally friendly clean products, and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes. Last year, mayors from 36 states encouraged residents to make over 390,000 pledges to promote drought resiliency, protect watersheds, and ultimately reduce stress on aging water infrastructure. Residents makes their pledges online at http://www.mywaterpledge.com throughout the month of April. Cities with the highest percentage of residents that make pledges in their population categories qualify for over $50,000 in prize drawings. Mayors from cities across the nation, including Portland, Tucson, and Dallas, have already thrown their hats into the ring to see whose city can be the most water-wise for 2016. Students and teachers can take part in the pledge, too, by accessing a special section of the website. Once there, teachers can download lesson plans relating to water
conservation, make the pledge on behalf of their classes and enter to win classroom supplies and gift cards for their school.

The non-profit campaign is presented in association with EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS). The hallenge is designed to bring together all facets of the community together to follow their city’s progress throughout the month and to use that information to encourage neighbors, businesses, and civic groups to spread the word. Last year, San Diego was the top-ranked city in the 600,000-and-over population standings. To recognize the city’s efforts for sustainability, the national kickoff will take place from 11 am – 1 pm, Friday, April 1, from the SDG&E Energy Innovation Center, 4760 Clairemont Mesa Blvd, San Diego, one of only 10 double platinum LEED certified locations in the world.

One of the world’s leading eco-friendly vehicles, the Toyota Prius, and the new Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle will be showcased at the event, as well as the Wyland Clean Water Mobile Learning Experience – an interactive 1,000-square-foot experience on wheels that has been on a national tour in support of the challenge. Other ecofriendly prizes on display will include Toro Smart Irrigation products and ECOS environmentally friendly cleaning products.

About the Wyland Foundation

Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is actively engaged in teaching millions of students around the county about our ocean, rivers, lakes streams, and wetlands. The foundation's latest project, FOCUS (Forests, Oceans, Climate – and us) brings together the U.S. Forest Service, NOAA, and numerous non-profits to teach young people about the future of our water supplies, climate, and global health. http://www.wylandfoundation.org

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius hybrid and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.